In Their Own Words

August 08, 1740

Whitefield Prepared to Visit New England, Despite Illness

This day’s entry in the journal of William Stephens mentioned that the fervor with which George Whitefield preached had weakened him, yet he was still preparing for a trip to New England as part of the Great Awakening movement:

“…Mr. Whitfield’s Weakness continued upon him, which he had
brought on himself by such an excessive Vehemence in
preaching and expounding : He was sometimes obliged
to break off, unable to proceed; nevertheless I understood he was preparing to set out very soon on another
Progress Northward, intending now to visit New-England and those Parts. …”